Improvement in temporary binders for letters and papers



' W. A. AMBERG.

Temporary Binder for Letters and Papers.

PatentedfSept. 24'; 18 78.

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' a part of this specification, Figure l is a top UNITED STATESPATENTOnt-Ion WILLIAM A. AMBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT l N TEMPORARY BINDERS FOR LETTERS A ND PAPERS,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,220, datedSeptember 24, 1878; application filed To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. AMBERG, of Chicago, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain Improvements in Letter-Files, of whichthe following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, which forms or plan view of the improvedfile. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a back view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a section of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe expansible index removed. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section upon alarger scale of the indexhiuging contrivances. Fig. 7 is a view(detached) of the metal slide, label-plate, &c., upon a scale tocorrespond with Fig. 6. v

The file-case, which gives stability and support to theindex and guardsthe contents from dust, consists of a bottom piece, A, sides B B, aback, 0, and cover D. The bottom serves as a level smooth resting-placefor the index and contents. The sides serveas guides in placing theletters and as guards to prevent them from slipping out, and the backserves as a guide and a guard, and'also as apoint to which the cover andindex maybe hinged. The cover serves as a protection against dust, as aweight to press the contents down smoothly to keep the index in shape,and also when the file is placed upright, as at Fig. 2, as an inclinedrest for the index in examining the contents.

This file-case I prefer to make of well-seasoned wood 5 but of course itmay be made of other material without departing from my invention.

As usual in files of this character, the index is an expansible one, andI prefer that it should be perfectly expansible by having the sheetsentirely disconnected from each other, as it sometimes happens that alarge proportion of the letters to be filed come from a singlecorrespondent, and no predetermination of the place they will occupy inthe alphabet is possible to the manufacturer. Hence a file to meet allrequirements should be perfectly expansible; but nevertheless many ofthe advantages of my invention may be secured even with an index notperfectly expansible.

The index shown in the drawing consists of a number of sheets, E, whollydisconnected from each other, out at their front margin collectivelywith an alphabet, and provided, each individual sheet, at the back edgethereof, with a tag, F, projecting to the rear. These tags are made of aT shape, or of some shape equivalent to a T shape, larger at theirextreme back edge than at their junction with the sheet, in order to runin a slot in the case, or they may be made of an L or hook form. Theymay consist of separate tags secured to the sheets, or they may be cutfrom thematerial of the sheet itself; or, in lieu of being tagsprojecting to the rear of the sheet, they may be replacedby T-shapedslots cut in the sheets, in which case a T-shaped projectionmay be usedon the case.

These tags serve to hinge the index to the case, and I prefer that thereshould be but one hinge to each sheet, placed in the center thereof, notonly because it is less expensive than several, but also because it ismore easily operated and the index is more perfectly selfadjustin g.

In the back of the case is a vertical slot, G,

formed to receive the tags. This slot may be either cut in the woodbodily of a T shape, or shape to correspond to the tag, or it may bemade a simple recess to receive the larger part of the tag, and asupplemental slotted plate placed down-over. the shank'of the ta Thelatter construction is the one shown in the drawing, H being said plate.This plate H may have two angling wings, h h, which slide down intoangling slits sawed at diverging a11- gles into the wood of the back,serving thus to hold the plate in position. The slot in the plateterminates before reaching the top, leav ing a stop or bar, 6, toprevent the tags from coming out at the top. Above this bar may be cut afinger-hole, d, by which it may be pulled up when it is desired toremove the index. This plate H aifords a convenient support for ashield, J, which may be made in one piece with said plate. The shieldsets over the back, and, being made with a sunken medallion, j, servesas a label-holder, the label of paper to denote the contents of the filebeing pasted in the sunken space j.

enables the manufacturer to readily change labels to suit therequirements of his customers, thus saving the necessity of carrying alarge stock of ready-labeled cases by simply providing himself with astock of assorted label-holders, which are interchangeable with any ofthe cases. The label may be cast, stamped, or cut in the metal, ifdesired.

The cover D is furnished at its front margin with a folding strip, Dwhich, when the file is used lying down with the index horizontal, canbe raised up to disclose the alphabet, so that the finger may be placedupon the desired letter at which the index is to be separated, and theupper leaves of the index and the cover raised simultaneously to insertor withdraw a paper from the file. The cover is hinged to the case inthe same manner as the index, to rise and fall with the index to adjustitself to the varying contents, and is in like manner removable.

Instead of operating the file with the index in a horizontal position,it may be more convenient for some persons, and for some uses, to standit upright, resting upon the back, with the alphabet edge of the indexuppermost, as shown at Fig. 2, or to hold it in the lap in thisposition, with the cover D toward the body of the operator. Tofacilitate this kind of use, I provide stops K, which only permit thecover to open to a certain angle, in order that when thus opened it mayafford a restingplace for the index and contents in examining the file.These stops may be applied either to the case or to the cover; but Iprefer to apply them to the cover, because then the stops move with thecover as the file fills, and the angle of farthest opening of the coveris always the same, whether the file contain much or little.

The unfolding margin D upon its reverse will be found to be a convenientplace upon which to paste a list of contents of the file, or areference-list for previously-filled files. The

4. The combination, in a letter-file, of the I case, the removableself-adjusting hinged index, and cover, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the case, the centrally-hinged removable self-adjusting index, and cover, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the case, having a slotted recess in the back,of the index and cover, both provided with hinging-tags projectingbackward from the rear edge, substantially as specified.

7. The self-adj usting cover, hinged centrally to the back of the case,and provided with two stops, one at each side of the hinge,substantially as specified. v

8. The file-case cut with a recess at the back, and provided with theslotted metal slide, substantially as specified.

9. The file-case provided with a removable metal label-holder orname-plate, hollowed to receive the label, and secured to the back ofthe case by means of the slotted metal slide, which forms a part of thehinging device, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM A. AMBERG.

W'itnesses JOHN XV. MUNDAY, Forum 1%. SMITH.

